A recent addition
to the breeding program at Trial & Error Acres is the production of Mules
(commercial crossbred ewes). The term "mule" (when it refers to sheep) is
used for an intentionally produced crossbred sheep that is sired by a Bluefaced
Leicester ram. In the United Kingdom, Mule ewes are the
backbone of the commercial sheep
industry.
The
various types of Mules are the most popular commercial ewes
in the UK, and the Bluefaced Leicester is the
number one crossing sire
there. The most widely used BFL sired crossbreds are
the Scotch Mule, out of Scottish Blackface ewes; the North of England Mule, out
of Swaledale or Northumberland ewes; the Welsh Mule, out of Welsh Hill or Welsh
Mountain ewes; and the Cheviot Mule, out of North Country Cheviot ewes. There
are other purebred ewes in the UK that are being used for producing mules (i.e.: Clun
Mules, Dalesbred Mules, etc.), but on a smaller scale.

SBF ewe with her 3 month old Mule lamb

At Trial & Error Acres, we have chosen Scottish Blackface ewes
to cross with our Bluefaced Leicester rams to produce Scotch Mule lambs.
We feel that Scottish Blackface ewes offer many advantages, primarily their
hardiness and ability to successfully rear their lambs with little intervention
from the shepherd. Also, we prefer the appearance of the Scotch Mules,
and their fleeces are nice enough to market profitably. The Scotch Mule
ewe lambs produced at Trial & Error will be retained
to be later bred to a Texel ram, for the purpose of producing prime lamb.

A Scotch Mule ewe with Texel sired lambs

The advantages of the Mule as a commercial ewe are many, and
the Bluefaced Leicester imparts many highly desirable qualities in his crossbred
daughters. The Mule ewe will have improved maternal qualities such
as early maturity, increased prolificacy, improved milk production, more
capacity, in addition to hybrid vigor.